Rim riveting machine



Jan. 12, 1932. E. BOARD HIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3; 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDWARD BOARD 8Y9 WWW Jam, 12, 1932. E. BOARD Rm mvmme umcnmn Fild June 3 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD aogno 8Y9 2 A TTORNEY.

Jam 3 E. BOARD 1,341,004

BIN RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1925 15 Sheets-Shela; 3

" EDWARD BOARD 'ATTORNEY.

Jan. 12; 1932. E, BOARD 1,841,004

RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1925 15 Sheets Sheet 4 FIG. 5

" INVENTOR.

EDWARD BOARD ATTORNEY.

Jain. 12, 1932.

L9 S? m. 7

'RIM RIVETING MACHINE E. BOARD j' 1 1,841,004

Filed Juhe 5, 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 EDWARD. BOARD ATTORNEY.

E. BOARD RiM RIVETING MACHINE Jam, 12, 1932. v

15 Sheets-Sheet 6 III Filed June 3, 1925 I INVENT OR. B EDWRD BOARD mm A TTORN E Y.

Jan. 12, 5 BOARD Q RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 w UE INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Jan. 12, 19:32.

E. BOARD RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1925 15 Sheets- Sheet 8 FIG. 1|

INVENTOR. EDWARD EOARD ATTORNEY.

FIGS

' FBG; 8d;

Jan. 12, 1932. E. BOARD RIM RIVEI'ING MACHINE Filed June 3 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 III J INVENTOR. EDWARD BOARD BY y ATTORNEY.

Jan. 12, 1932. E. BOARD RIM RIVETING MACHINE '15 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1925 Jan. 12, 1932. BQARD 1,841,004

RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet l1 O INVENTOR. EDWARD EOARD Jan. 12; 1 932. E, B ARD 1,841,004

RIM RIVETING MACHINE I 175 FI G. 20

J49 INVENTOR. A85 EDWARD 50.420

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 12, 1932 5:, BOARD 1,841,004

RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1925 15 Sheets-Sheet l4 m4 FIG. 2'?

5/ iNVENTOR. TG i EDWARD BOARD 5/7 I BY $0 M F! 6.57 -F|G.58 ATTORNEY.

Jam 12, 1932. E. BOARD RIM RIVETING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1925 l5 Sheets-Sheet 15 FIG. 28

[N VEN TOR.

Lv EDWARD aomw FIG. 28 Q .l a 4/ A? U 6 MW a 5 0 BY f Z a ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 12, 1932 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD BOARD, OF PHILADELPHA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO BUDD WHEEL OOKPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA Application fled June 8,

My invention consists of a wheel riveting nachine especially adapted to rivet the rims f disc wheels now commonl used in the zutomotive industry to the ody discs by neans of which the rims are supported from ;he hub. Its outstanding charcteristic is per- ;aps its complete automatic operation. Oriinary riveting machines have heretofore Jeen used for this purpose, but so far as I am iware, I am the first to invent an entirely au zomatic machine for this work. In the invention of the machine, I also invented an en- ;irely new method of'doing this work, and accordingly my invention consists of both the method and the machine which carries it out.

The outstanding characteristic of the ma- :hine is also representative of its principal object, the completely automatic riveting of the rim to the wheel disc throu hout its entire surface. Other objects I ave sought and attained are the following:

A positive and high eed clamping device to hold the disc wheel 1n the position to be operated upon; a positive, firm and unyielding, yet accurate means of indexing a wheel so clamped from position to position in which rivets are to be applied; a powerful and hi h speed, et accurate, piercing device to m e t e ho es for the rlvets in a truly radial alignment; an absolute'l certain means for feeding rivets to the ho es so pierced which will feed rivets as long as there are holes into which may be fed and cease them when the holes are all filled; 'a $1 high speed, yet accurate riveting mechanism which will effect the riveting o ration along truly radial lines with the bee ofthe rivets su ly inplace and the rivetedends coined fla y against the exterior surface of the rim to free the same from objectionable projections; the relation of the piercing and riveting mechanisms to the wheel operated upon and its clam ing mounting in such positions that the t usts and other strains built up in the piercing and riveting operations are takenby the mechanism and not by the wheel body, whereb not only distortion of the wheel body, ut correlated unwarrented strains upon the mechanisms themselves are avoided,- with great enhancement of the accuracy of the am mine new 1025. semi F0. was.

work and the efliciency and life of the machine; a positive and highly accurate and easily ad'ustable timing mechanism to corre late the timing of the operation of the various mechanisms used with respect to each other fully carried out in a most efiicient manner and the highest speed of production attained; the provision of an automatic align' mechanism in conjunction with the piercing and riveting mechanism which insures, or assists in the insurance of, accuracy of radial alignment of the operations of these mechanisms; the provision of adjustments in connection with each of the aforesaid mechanisms to account for the ordinary wear and grinding of parts, particularly tools such as plercing and riveting dies; to provide forthose minor adjustments of the mechanisms themselves to take care of minor variations in dimension of wheels ofa given size; to rovide for these major adjustments of ea and all of the mechanisms engaging the wheel to be 0 rated upon, to 0 rate upon wheels of di erent size; and fina y, to coordinate the entire assemblage of parts and mechanisms in such manner as to attain not only the greatest efficiency of operation, but the highest rate 01 production consistent "with the work which may be obtained from parts well made of a whereby the method of'my invention may be high quality of material; Never before, in-

sofar as I am aware, has this ensemble of obigcts been attained in a single-machine.

the accompanying drawings I show one embodiment of" my invention.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

' Fig. 2 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 8 is a f t-hand elevation.

Fig. 4 is a le hand elevation.

Fig.5isatop-planview.

Fig.6 is a vertical transveme section substantlally on the axigof support otfthe wheel being-operated upon, taken on line 6-6 Fig. 5- K Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical axial section of the clamping mechanism per se shown m elevation in Fig. 6 and substantially the same as if taken online 6-6 of Fig. 5.

section of the piercing mechanism taken substantially on hne 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8a is a similar view in a slightl different plane showing the parts in a di erent operating position.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse section of this piercing mechanism taken substanstantially online 1212 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged top plan view of this indexing mechanism together with the clamping and wheel-shifting mechanism.

Fig.- 14 is an enlarged vertical rear elevation of the rivet-feeding mechanism taken substantially from line 1414 of Fig. 5 looking in the dlrection of the arrows.

ig. 15 is a top plan view of this mechanism.

Figs. 16, 17,18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are details thereof.

Fig. 23 is a vertical rear elevation of a portion of the drive of this rivet-feeding mechanism lying below the body of the machine and substantially from the same point of view defined by line 14-14 of Fi 5.

Fig. 24 is a similar view of another portion of this drive Fig. 25 is a planview of the portion of the drive shown in Fig. 24. r.

Fig. 26 is a top plan view of the timing mechanism.

Fig. 27 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 28 is a vertical section of a part of the automatic control mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 29 is a front elevation of an upper portion of this control mechanism found in the upper left-hand corner of Fi 1.

Fig. 30 isa left side elevation of the same.

Fig. 31 is a vertical cross-section of a brake used in connection with the several mech-.

' anisms.

Fig. 32 is g. front elevation of the head of the wheel clamp of the clamping mechanism of Fig. 7.,

Fig. 33 is a front elevation of thefclamping plate coacting with this head.

Fig. 34 shows a front and a side elevation of one of the clamping fingers operated between the head of Fig. 32 and the plate of Fig. 33.

Fig.3.) is a-perspective view of a portion of the operating sleeve by which the operating plate of Fig. 33 is carried.

Fig. 36 is a diagrammatic plan showing the symmetrical relation of the rivet pick-up and pick-up the rivet put-in positions and the axis of the and put-in device of the feed nismo Figs. 14 to 22.

Figs. 37 and 38 (on the sheet with Fi s. 26 and 27) show details-of portions of t e timin mechanism. 7

Re erring to the drawings, and first to the general elevation and plan views of Figs. 1 .to 5, it will be seen that I have designated. the various mechanisms by group otters. The clamping mechanism which mounts the mechadisc I have designated C. The index mechanism,which steps the disc from the riveting position to riveting position,'I have designated in general I; the piercing mechanism which pierces the holes in the disc I have designated in general P; the riveting mecha-.

nism I have designated-in" general R; the rivet-feeding mechanism in general F; the wheel-shifting mechanism in general S; and the timing mechanism in general T. The same general designation has been followed throughout the more detailed figures of the drawings whereby they may be the more easily related to the general view.

All of these mechanisms are on or about a common base, '13, which is in the form of a casting havinga substantially planeupper face. This base B is supported from the floor or other foundation by four (4) legs L, at a vertical height to i give the workman the most efficient handling of the wheels which he must place upon and remove from the clamping device C. This operation of placing the wheel upon the clamping device C 'and clamping it there, and upon the close of the automaticoperation upon-the wheel, of releasing it therefrom, are the only operations required of the operator.

The clamping mechanism C is centered around the transversely-extending rotatable shaft 10 connected with the indexing mechanism I.- This shaft is supported upon the transversely arranged H-shaped frame 11 of the shifting mechanism S, oscillable about the transverse shaft 12, supported from the plane upper face of the base B upon pedestals 1313 (see especially Figs. 6,.7 and 13) The clamping device per se is shown most fully in Fig. 7 andFigs. 32- to 35 on the same sheet with Fig. 7. Collars 13a removably secured to shaft 12 are rovided to variably position mechanisms C and I to 0 rate on various sized wheels. As here clear y appears, the from end of shaft 10 is provided with an attached flange 14. Secured to it through the intermediary of a pair 'of adapter discs 15 and 16 is the main clamping head 17 of the mechanism. The clamping head 17 and adapter discs 15- and 16 are bolted or doweled together and to the flange 14 of shaft 10, there being provided suitable registering shoulders and recesses. between them.

The head 17 is shown in detail. in the section of Fig. 7. It is provided with a shouldisc.

, type is shown in connection with the clampirig head. This type, as at the present time marketed, embodies a pressed steel disc 22' provided with an annular boss 20, and spaced bearing zones 19 and 21, which are respectively borne upon and clamped to the radial face of a hub flange by'bolts passed through the boss 20. The perimeter of the radial flange 18 of clamping head 17, is such that it'engages the inner face of the disc in the zone 19, slightly outwardly removed from the zone 21.

Engagement in zone 19 with theclamping head 17, is efiected throughinserts 23 having serrated engag ng edges 24 for the purpose of preventing the wheel from slipping. The inserts are circular and attached by central machine screws 25. Theyprovide in effect a three-point bearing for the wheel disc to be clamped in position.v The boss 26 of the head 17 is provided with three grooves 27 centered on lines forming chords of the circle of the boss and substantially in the arrangement of an equilateral triangle. In each groove slides a clamping finger 28 having a point 29 adapted to be slid over the outer surface of the'boss of the wheel disc and to hold the same in place. These sliding fingers 28 fit snugly against the lateral walls of the groove but have a clearance from the bottom wall of the groove by reason of the offset 30 on the inside of the finger provided between the engaging point 29 and an inside point 31 which rides on the bottom of the groove. Each finger, moreover, is provided on its back with a pin 32 engaged in a slot 33,

Fig. 33, in a coac'ting clamping disc 34 secured on the outer end of an actuating rod 35 extending through the hollow 36 of shaft 10 to the rear of the machine. Clamping disc 34 is secured to the shaft through the intermediary of a sleeve 37 having limited free movement axially of the shaft and connected therewith bya pin 38 in the shaft and a spirally-extending slot 39 in the sleeve. This slot (Figs. 7 and 35) has straight ends, the rear of which is open. Pin 38 passes through rod-35 through the slot and into straight grooves in head 17. The .disc 34 not only fits against the shoulder 40 on this sleeve, but is keyed thereto by a key 41 and retainedin a keyed position by a nut 42. The sleeve, in turn, is retained on the shaft at its front end by awasher 43, retained against the end of the sleeve and the nut 42 by means of nuts 44. Sleeve 37 has a sliding engagement with clamping head 17. A spring 46 bearsagainsta washer-at its rear end. and at the other end againstthe head'of flange 14on shaft 10, normally biasing sleeve: 37

' eral and clamping disc 34 outwardly. Connected with the opposite end of rod 35 is a compressed air cylinder 47 adapted to be actuated to draw the rod 35 inwardly.

The disc 34 is of less diameter than the diameter of the central opening of the wheel.

Therefore, a wheel may be freely slipped over it on to the boss 26 and into engagement with the centering inserts 23 of the head 17. ,lVhen disc 34 is out as shown, the points 29 of clampingfingers 28 are within the circle of the boss 26 as shown in Fig. 7, so there is no interference from them. \Vhen rod 35 is drawn rea-rwardly by the admission of air to cylinder 47, however, sleeve 37 is rotated by reason of the progress of pin 38 in the spiral slot 39 in the sleeve, in turn rotating clamping disc 34 and by reason of the slots 33 in the disc 34 embracing pins 32, moving fingers 28 outwardly to carry theirengaging points 29 over the top of the boss 20 into positions to clamp the boss upon the head 17. Further movement of rod 35 as pressure in 47 builds up to a maximum engages the inner face of disc 34 with the backs of fingers 28, and firmly clamps the points 29 of the fingers upon the boss and, through the boss, clamps the body of the disc to the centering inserts 23 of the clampinghead 17. So held, the disc cannot slide or turn, and it is accurately centered and held in osition. The moment the air pressure in cy inder, 47 is released, the spiralspring 46 thrusts sleeve 37 I and rod 35 outwardly, reversely moving sleeve 37 and disc 34, first releasing the genressure of disc 34 upon the boss 20, and tlien withdrawing the points 29 of fingers 28 from the face of the boss 20. The wheel may then be immediately removed and another put in its place. By suitable choice of.

adapters 15 and 16, and suitable shaping of v the clamping head 17, and perhaps the points 29 of the fingers, of the equivalent, any size and ty of wheel whatsoever may be similarly c amped in position to be worked upon by this machine... 4

The compressed air cylinder 47 which actuates the rod 35-.is supported concentrically therewith from the rear end 48 of the shaft 10. Support is by means of an adapter 50, threaded directly into the end of the shaft 10 and entering the base 51 of the cylinder. The adapter may or may not consist of an .element of the stufiing'box of the cylinder. The rod 35' is connected directly with the piston rod 52 of the piston 53 of this cylinder.

The compressed air cylinder is of a type commonly used in air-actuated clutches in various classes of machinery such, for example, as turninglathcs;

The means by which the cylinder is controlled enters into combination with the eneral control and timing means of the mac line and will be subsequently described.

The index mechanism I, by which the wheel so clamped in position is stepped from one position to the other, embodies the shaft bears against the frontal flange 14, while the latter of which bears against a rear flange 56 of the same shaft. Connected with this rear flange 56 is the index disc 57. This disc is provided in its edge with a number of tapered slots 58 (see Fig. 12) corresponding in number and in position to the number and position of the rivets it is desired to place in th" wheel. The disc is removably bolted to the flange 56 whereby discs of other numbers of slots and other positionings suitable for different makes and sizes of wheels may be placed thereon. The body of the mechanism of which the indexed disc is a part is shown particularly in Figs. .12 and 13. Oscillable freely about the projected end 59 of shaft 10 in the rear of the disc 57 is a depending arm 60 which carries at its lower end just outside of the perimeter of disc 57 a pawl 61 in the form of a bell crank pivoted thereto. One arm of this pawl extends laterally of arm 60 substantially along the edge of disc 58 and has its end inturned and formed with side walls tapering'and complemental to the tapering side walls of the slots 58 of the disc 57. This arm is biased to a position within the slots by means of spiral spring 62, hooked v of shaft 12 of the shifting mechanism S. This I on to the body of arm 60. The bottoms of slots 58 are flat, and the end of pawl 61 is also fiat but it does not reach the slot bottom; So, by reason of having been cut off, or by reason of the width of the tapered end having been made sufiiciently large to prevent it from reaching the bottom, a perfectaligm' ment ofthe disc in a given position indexed by the engagement of the pawl in the slot is assured. "Still further, the flat inner end of the pawl may ride freely over the flatfexterior edge of disc 57 between the slots in progressing from slot to slot.

T e outer arm of pawl 61 depends beyond the arm and is there connected by means of adjustable rod or link.63 with an oscillable arm 64 on the projecting outer end 65 arm 64 is oscillated by a second link 65 connected with a reciprocating slide or cross head 66, mounted in vertically-extended bearings 67 about the driving shaft 68. This slide 66 is reciprocated by means of a cam 69 substantially of heart sha and character: ized by a uniform axial width. Such a cam is in constantoperative engagement on its opposite faces'with pins or other .followers 70 spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the cam. The slot 71 of a length equal to the throw of the cam plus the diameter of shaft 68 permits free movement of the slide 66 about the shaft which pieces it. When so reciprocated, the slide 66, through the train 0 mechanism 65, 64, 63, 61, will index the disc 57 one slot at a t1me, provided that the throw is appropriately adjusted through 70 choice of dimension of cam 69 andchoice of pivotal connection of links 63 and-65 with the arm 64.

Mounted on the rear face of frame 11 which is of an extensive area, as appears clearly in ment may not retrogress the disc. To this end, pawl 73 is in the form of aroller mounted on an axis 74 in the upper end of a sliding plun er 75 of rectangular section, borne in'a bearlng plate 76, bolted to the frame 11,

and springressed to the edge of the disc by means 0 a spiral spring 77. The ed es of the slots 58 are slightly chamfered in or er to better effect a registry with the circular face of pawl 73.

The other adjunctive pawl 7 2, however, has

a projecting end like the ratchet 61 complemental to the slots 58, yet not reaching the bottom of them, whereby the same effective accurate alignment is attained. This pawl is carried by a plunger 7 8,bore in a bearing m plate 79, and biased to the disc b spiral spring 80. But in addition to this ias, the pawl is mechanically operated. A slot 81 is' provided in the rear face of the bearing plate 79, and the pin 82 projected through this slot from the rear face of the stud 78.

The pin is engaged in the forked end of a lever 83 pivoted mtermediate its ends at 84,

upon the bearing plate 79, and provided at its opposite end with a cam roller 85. This 1 cam roller 85 is in' the path of movement ,of the axially adjustable cam 86, carried on the link 63, which actuates' the ratchet 61. When in the retrogressive movement of pawl 61, the link 63 is moving rearwardly, the conical forward face of cam 86 engages the roller 85, and oscillating lever 83 retracts the pawl 72 from the indexed disc 57. The disc is thus, by the retrogressive movement of link 63, freed from'ratchet 12 61 and holding pawl 72, but is not freed from the resisting pawl 73. Ratchet 61 retrogresaes until it engages in the next slot to the ran. at which time the follower 85 has passed from the conical surface of cam 86 on to the 12 position formerly fixed by the pawl 72,

such movement to a certain de against the resistance of pawl 73 which rides out of the slot in which it was engaged. The reverse movement of link 63 continuing, roller 85 leaves the cylindrical surface of cam 86 and suddenly passes down the conical surface, releasing pawl 72 to bear by its fiat end upon the edge of the disc between the indexed ing the indexed disc 57 and consequently the wheel being operated upon in its new position.

By adjusting the plates 76 and 79 upon the face of frame 11, and by adjusting the length 63 and the pivotal connection of this link and the link 65 with the lever 64, each of the ratchets and pawls 61, 72 and 73 may be readily adjusted to a different number of indexes and to a diiferent spacing as may be required on various sizes and types of wheels.

The piercing mechanism P is embodied on the left of the wheel so mounted and indexed. It is carried by a frame comprised of front and back pedestal castings 87 and 88, transversely of which is arranged the driving part of the mechanism and longitudinally of which are arranged the piercing dies of the mechanism. The dies comprise a female die head 89 having a die aperture 90, and a male die head or punch 91. The female die memher is carried on the forwardly projecting end 92 of a hook-shaped forearm 93 of the arm 94, slidabl mounted longitudinally in ways 95 in the upper portions of the spaced pedestals 87 and 88. This arm is of generous and sturdy proportion sufficient to take the strain of piercing. The male die 91 is removably mounted or chucked in the fore end of reciprocable arm 96, borne in a slot 97 in the body of arm 94. Both arms are removable by removing the tops of the bearings 95; The arm 94 is of substantially uniform width and fits snugly in its bearings throughout its length. Slot 97 is not of uniform width, but is of lesser width at its front end than in its intermediate portion, whereby while arm 96 is borne snugly in the bearings provided by the walls of the fore end of slot 97, its rear end and the actuating mechanism therefor can work freely in the enlarged intermediate portion of the slot as indicated by the clearance shown in Fig. 9. The actuating mechanism for the arms 96 and 94 of the piercing device is clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Referring particularly to Figs. 8 and 8a, it will be seen to comprise a toggle comprised of links 98 and 99 engaging the arms 94 and 96 respectively and coupled together by the knuckle joint 100. These toggles break downwardly to separate the piercing unch 91 and the die 89, and close upwar y to bring them together. Actuation is by means of a vertically reciprocable pitman 1000;. Referring to the longitudinal central section shown in Fig. So, it will be seen that within the slot 97, the arm 94 is provided with an adjustable block 101 having a convexed head 102, niaking a bearing with the concaved seat 103 formed in the end of the co-acting toggle link 98. Block 101 is slidably mounted in a way 104 in the rear end of slot 97, has its rear end vertically oblique end engaged by a tapering adjusting wedge 105 vertically adjusted by means of a stud 106 threaded into the body of arm 94, and held against wedge 105 by set screw 106a in overhang 106b. By adjusting block 105, the separated distance between punch 91 and its die 89 may be adjusted. Arm 96 on its rear end is provided, also, with a convexed head 107 similar to the head 102 and like the head 102 mating with the concave bearing surface 108 in the coacting toggle link 99. Each toggle link at its upper end is flanked by a plate 109 screwed thereto on each side, and locked in alignment by an inwardly projecting lug 110 at its lower end and overlying the toggle bearings 102103 107108 at their upper ends. Pins 111 passed axially through the toggle bearings within the convexed heads 102107, and through the overlapping ends of plates 109, bind the toggle hearings together. Thus the toggle arms 9S99 and the piercing mechanism links 9496, are provided with bearings of great area directly between the members to withstand the high piercing pressure, and the plates 109 and pins 111 are constituted a means to retract the arms 9496 after the piercing operation.

The knuckle joint 100 between links 98-99 and the pit-man 100a is of peculiar construction. Opposite halves 112113 of the toggles are provided with convexed ends compl-emental to the entire concave end 114 of the pitman 100a. The convexity -of these half ends of the toggle links is carried through the greater part of a circle of uniform diameter. The remaining halves 115-116 of links 9899 are cut back for the diameter of the convex end and at the bottom of the cut back portion are formed complementally concave to the convexed half of the opposite link re ially through -this knuckle joint within the bodies of convexed halves, 112, 113 of links 9899 and through the ends of plates 117. 

